At the beginning of the play there is a fight between two families the Capulets and the Montagues Shakespeare has kept Romeo separate from the fight. This is how Shakespeare shows the audience the personality of Romeo; he does not want to fight. There are two themes in this play and they have been interwoven at the beginning of the play “O brawling love O loving hate” two conflicting words, Shakespeare has tried a technique to reinforce his language.
Juliet does seem to care that Romeo is a Montague “My only loves sprung from my only hate”. The first scene of love is Act 2 scene 5 where Romeo meets Juliet for the first time. He falls in love with her then finds out the she is a Capulet “Is she a Capulet? O dear account! My life is my foes debt”. Romeo does care that Juliet is a Capulet but Romeo is too far in love to think about anything else, the only thing he thinks its right is climb to see Juliet. Juliet is saying is to herself “O Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo deny they father and refuse they name or if thou wit not be but sworn my love, and no longer be a Capulet”. Juliet does not know that Romeo is there but the audience does. Juliet mentions marriage at the end of Act 2 saying “quality if they bent of love is honourable by one that ill procures to thee.
Romeo and Juliet have realised the fact they have clear feelings for each other, however they realised they will be always a Montague and a Capulet. Love is the strongest emotion between them. Romeo has desires to reach out and touch Juliet in this scene “ See how she leans her cheek upon her hand, o that I were a glove upon that hand” Romeo wants to touch Juliet’s soft young skin.
There are parts in the play where hate over powers love. First time on stage we see the climax of hatred “turn thee Benvolio look upon thy death, what draw and take peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell all Montagues and thee”. Tybalts language is violent and aggressive in contrast to Benvolio. Tybalt spots Romeo and reacts violently. Shakespeare has constructed this by the meeting of Romeo and Juliet then there is Tybalt in the middle. He is also shown the audience the story of love and hate.
Shakespeare has constructed this part of the play where the audience knows the marriage of Romeo and Juliet but Tybalt and mercutio don’t know that they are married. Tybalt and mercutio are confused because Romeo hasn’t told them both; Tybalt has insulted the Montague family. Mercutio is confused that Romeo hasn’t react to Tybalts insult by saying “o calm dishonourable with submission. In this mercutio shows both sides of love and hate, he hates Tybalt he makes any excuse to fight the Capulets. Mercutio inflanes this by saying “And but one word with one of u? Couple it with something, make it a word and blow”.
Tybalt starts a fight with Romeo. He does not want to fight and cries for help, his language to Tybalt is loving, trying to break his hate.
Tybalt has too much hate in him to break him down Mercutio stands in to protect him.
It was hatred from the two families which made Romeo and Juliet kill them because their families’ hatred drove them to their deaths. After the deaths of Romeo and Juliet the Montague and Capulet families are reconciled.
At the end of the play the prince says to the two families that there fighting was the cause of there deaths by saying“Capulet! Montague! See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love”. I think that in the play love and hate are interwoven.
